Safety gate latch



May 23, 1961 J. W. TIFFANY SAFETY GATE LATCH Filed May 4. 1959 -PIE'- JNVENToR. Jfssf W. WHW/vx Hrm/Mfrs.

nited States Patent O SAFETY GATE LATCH Jesse W. Tiifany, R.R. 1, Acton, Ind.

Filed May 4, 1959, Ser. No. 810,761

1 Claim. (Cl. 292-1) This invention relates generally to means for fastening or latching gates or closures and in particular to a latch for securing a livestock confining gate.

It is obviously desirable that a gate latch or fastening means for livestock confining gates be easily and conveniently latched and unlatched. An effective gate latch should also be incapable of being nudged or pushed to unlatching position by the stock confined by the gate.

The present invention provides a structure which has the desirable features referred to above and which can be easily fabricated at relatively low cost.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gate latch structure which is weighted so as to move positively into latching position even though manipulation of the latch is terminated short of moving the latch into latching position.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gate latch structure in which forcing of the gate is resisted by frictional engagement of two components of the latch structure.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claim:

Fig. l is a front View of apparatus embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a front view similar to Fig. 1, but including portions of a gate to which the apparatus is attached.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral `l refers to a stud which is threaded for attachment to a wooden gate post. The stud has rigidly secured thereto a stationary plate 11 and, spaced slightly from the surface of the plate, an elongated head 12.

'Ihe assembly just described cooperates with a movable plate 13 which is provided with a longitudinal slot 14 of slightly larger dimension than the cross member 12. The slot 14 has a circular enlargement at the center thereof to accommodate the Unthreaded portion of stud 10 which extends between the plate 11 and the head 12. At its side margins the plate :.13 is provided with integral eyelets 16, either one of which may accommodate a link chain 17 or other similar exible fastening member. Extending from the lower margin of the plate 13 is an elongated weighted portion 18. The weighted portion 18 may be formed integrally with the plate 13 or may be rigidly attached to the lower portion of the plate, the mechanical requirement being that the weighted portion have a substantial lever arm with relation to the slot 14.

The installation and operation of the latch assembly will be evident from Fig. 4. Reference numeral 19 indicates a portion of the gate post. One end of the chain 17 is secured to an eyelet 21 which is screwed into or '21,985,476` Patented May 23, 1961 ICC otherwise fastened to the side of the gate post remote from the wooden or metal gate 22. With the stud 10 installed on the gate post, the elongated member 12 will be disposed in a horizontal position. By looping chain 17 around the gate 22 and by manipulating the plate 13 into its broken line position of Fig. 4, the elongated member 12 may pass through the slot 14 in the plate. Upon release of the plate 13, the weighted portion 18 thereof will cause it to move to its solid line position of Fig. 4, wherein the plate 13 is locked between the elongated member 12 and the face of the plate 11. When so locked or latched, the plate 13 cannot be removed without displacement against the force of gravity to its broken line position of Fig. 4.

Any attempt to force the gate 22 causes a frictional locking of the plate 13 against the under face of the elongated member 12. This frictional lock resists unlatching of the assembly except when the gate is free. The provision of eyelets 16 on both sides of the plate 13 permit use of the assembly with either right-hand or left-hand gates.

The components of the apparatus may be formed of any suitable material, however, the use of spring steel is preferred. It will be understood that while the stud 10 has been described as threaded so as to be screwed into a wooden guide post 19, the stud could take the form of a nut receiving bolt should it be desired to fasten the plate 11 to a metal gate post.

While the invention has been disclosed and described in some detail in the drawings and foregoing description, they are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, as modifications may readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art and within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claim.

The invention claimed is:

An apparatus for detachably securing a gate to a gate post comprising: a stationary plate adapted to be rigidly mounted on a gate post and having a stud thereon carrying an elongated member extending horizontally in spaced relation to the face of the plate, a movable plate having an elongated weighted element extending from one margin thereof, an elongated slot in said movable plate having a dimension slightly larger than said elongated member to accommodate said elongated member and an enlargement at the center thereof to accommodate said stud, the axis of the slot being normal to the axis of said elongated member, eyelets disposed at side margins of said movable plate and a exible element adapted to pass through the gate and secured to one of said eyelets and to the gate post, manipulation of said movable plate into a horizontal position permitting its insertion between the elongated member and the stationary plate, subsequent release of said movable plate permitting gravity to act thereon to rotate it to a vertical position wherein the axes of said slot and said elongated member are normal to each other with the slot centered on the stud and the gate is locked to the gate post.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 215,673 Ramey May 20, 1897 878,294 Kleidmann Feb. 4, 1908 1,294,406 Corbett Feb. 18, 1919 2,803,899 Denovan Aug. 27, 1957 2,805,093 Van Den Thoorn Sept. 3, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 23,752 Great Britain Oct. 17,V 1912 

